Anticipation is rising ahead of the FIFA World Cup finals. While Spain and Argentina both dominated the entire tournament, analysts are jumping in to take their sides in the battle. The latest one is Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario. According to him, Spain’s Tiki-Taka style of soccer could prove too good for Argentina.
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In an interview with ESPN Brazil, which was translated by Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur and business professional Mario Nawfal on X, Nazario said:
“Spain will beat Argentina easily, because Argentina will struggle to recover once Spain takes control. I think Spain wins easily. They’ve played extraordinarily, and this style has been part of their DNA for a long time. I don’t believe Argentina has the strength to come back from 1-0 or 2-0 down against Spain, because Spain will have the ball the entire time.”
The biggest advantage for the European nation in this World Cup is their defense. Spearheaded by goalkeeper Unai Simón, Spain’s defense has been nearly impenetrable. They limited opponents to an incredibly low expected goals against (xGA) metric and allowed just a single goal through their first six matches. For Argentina, who have always trailed in the last few games, it could be hard to take possession from Spain if they get behind again in the final.
Then comes Spain’s passing style of soccer. Their hybrid passing and suffocating counter-press could act as the ultimate tactical kryptonite for Argentina in the final. While Argentina thrives on narrow, physical midfields and rotational movements centered around Lionel Messi, Spain’s evolution of Tiki-Taka targets Argentina’s biggest systemic vulnerabilities. Something Ronaldo Nazario also highlighted.
If Spain takes the lead against Argentina, Nazario believes that it will be hard for Argentina to keep things on their side.
Not to forget how Argentina’s midfield has been structurally inconsistent and carved to shreds at various points in the tournament by lesser teams like Cape Verde and Egypt. In both cases, they found it hard to take the lead and won by last-minute brilliance. The final would be a different game altogether.
Spain’s elite midfield attack, anchored by Rodri and Fabián Ruiz, excels at suffocating teams through relentless, high-volume passing sequences. So, if Spain controls the tempo, Argentina’s central line will be forced into defensive overdrive, physically exhausting their playmakers.
But again, Messi will be there to spearhead Argentina’s offense. Argentina will bet big on Messi’s brilliance one more time to get over Spain’s passing style of soccer. Then, they also have Lautaro Martínez and Enzo Fernández—both players have had big moments so far. So, Messi will also have dependable support.
